Sleep and dreams

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Black-and-white photo of a person sleeping against a window on a train, head resting on a pillow, outside view blurred.

Sleep and dreams

idea

The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential

by Célia Lacaux

A man is seen through a windowpane with blurred people and autumn foliage shown in the reflection.

Values and beliefs

idea

What a dream helped me see about the politics of sovereignty

A moment of insight captured the danger in our widespread ‘sovereigntism’ – and how we ought to relate to each other instead

by Rupert Read

A painting of a person in green and a white cat sitting at a round table with a plate of fish and some flowers, set against a reddish background.

Sleep and dreams

guide

How to embrace being a lark or an owl

Skip the advice about training yourself to rise early or burn the midnight oil. Your natural rhythms are your best guide

by Shayla Love

Photo collage of a surreal bedroom scene from the perspective of a person in bed, featuring floating books, striped bedsheets, wall art, a window, and a bedside lamp.

Altered states

film

A surreal ode to the wee hours when daily anxieties meet sleepless dreams

Directed by Christine Hooper

A person walking a dog along a tree-lined path during sunset, with a warm orange glow illuminating the scene. The person wears a white and green top with a blue jacket tied around their waist. The dog is walking slightly ahead on a leash.

Emerging therapies

idea

Could dreams during anaesthesia help to heal life’s trauma?

Scientists are studying the dreamlike states produced by anaesthesia – and their potential benefits for people with PTSD

by Shayla Love

A family are drawn on the left hand page of an open copy of Freud’s book the Interpretation of dreams. On the right hand page is a drawing of ananaconda

Sleep and dreams

idea

The reason we dream might be to bring us closer together

Research has tended to focus on what dreams do for us when we’re sleeping – but what if the benefits play out the next day?

by Mark Blagrove

Seen through the windscreen a large bear is crossing a country road at night caught in the headlights of a car

Sleep problems

guide

How to calm your nightmares

Whether bad dreams stir you awake occasionally or routinely, these pre- and post-nightmare strategies can help alleviate them

by Katy Jakle

A person with a head covering climbs a rope ladder surrounded by bees in a mountainous area with smoke in the background.

Values and beliefs

film

A sacred dream sends one man on the perilous trail of toxic honey in Nepal

Directed by Ben Knight

Aerial view of a city with prominent castle in foreground, numerous buildings, and distant hills shrouded in mist under an overcast sky.

Sleep and dreams

idea

Five ways to take control of your dreams

Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started

by Christian Jarrett

Change and self-development

idea

Personal transformation can start with a whisper, not a bang

To understand personal transformation, we should listen to the incessant whispers in our stream of consciousness

by Jennifer Windt

Person’s legs visible sticking out of the boot of a yellow car parked near a green car. Vehicles are in a parking area with other cars nearby.

Sleep and dreams

guide

How to nap

Whether it’s to recover after a late night or to boost your learning abilities, there’s a science to napping effectively

by Ruth Leong & Michael Chee

Black-and-white photo of lava running down a rocky landscape towards three blossoming white trees under a cloudy sky.

Sleep and dreams

film

From landscape to dreamscape, using the medium of Hawaiian lava

Directed by Kurtis Hough